Page 35 of Defender
Translation: He’d follow up on this and make sure Michael was there.
“No hot date?”
Finn laughed. “Just whichever sister of yours will sit next to me on the bleachers, I guess.”
Michael tilted his head and stared his partner down. “Not funny.”
“Oh, ’tis a wee joke. Keep your head, Mick. I’m gonna work out at the gym, and I’ll find you at the game.”
They walked out of the station together and went their separate ways. Finn took the bus to his downtown loft. Michael walked to the parking garage and found his dependable Chevy Tahoe. When he opened his car door, a waft of fragrance, floral and bright, met him. It still smelled like Dani.
Dani. She could give him a rundown on Donner’s finances. And she probably needed a ride home. Rideshares were gonna get expensive real fast, and according to his mechanic’s message on his voicemail, her car was going to need extensive work. Even with a discount, it was going to be a hefty bill. If nothing else, he could give her the bad news about Princess Buttercup in person. He called and offered her a ride.
“Really? You don’t mind? I’m not at the office though. I’m out by the interstate.”
“That’s fine. Are you ready now?”
“Believe me, I am more than ready.”
Something in her voice concerned him. With four younger sisters, he could smell drama from miles away. Then again, this was Dani. Drama seemed to be synonymous with Dani Kim. “That bad of a first day, huh? Good thing I’m an excellent listener.”
“Well, I’d tell you all about it, but then I’d have to kill you.”
He chuckled. “Just text me your location.”
“Thanks, Michael.”
Leaving earlier at least helped him avoid traffic as he drove through downtown Renegade and out to Dani’s location. She was standing outside the small office building when he pulled up.
“So…a trucking company?” he asked as she hopped in the passenger seat.
“Don’t get me started,” she snorted. She undid her white blouse a couple buttons and pulled down the visor mirror right away. Before he could ask, she dumped her bag out over her lap, revealing a pile of makeup.
“What does the FBI have you doing way out here? Are you going undercover as a trucker?”
“I wish.” She held a small brush and a palette of colors so bold he couldn’t tell if it was eye makeup or a face-painting kit. “But no. They have me undercover as an accountant.”
“You say that like it’s a dirty word. What’s wrong with an accounting job?”
“I did not join the FBI to be an accountant. In fact, I joined the FBI because I was dying at my bank job.” She brushed shimmery pink across her eyelid.
“Dying, huh?” Teasing her was one of the first times he’d felt like his old self. Like the old days, before his mother’s murder had cast its dark shadow over their lives.
But instead of taunting him back, Dani put the makeup down. “It felt like it.”
Oh. She was serious.
“I’m sorry, Dani. I wasn’t?—”
“No, I get it. I know I can be a lot. I exaggerate and embellish, but—never mind.” She lifted the little brush again.
“Dani, tell me. Please. I want to hear.”
She released a little huff. “The truth is, I was in a pretty bad place this time last year.”
“How did I not know? Did something happen?”
“No one knew what was really going on with me, so how could you know? And no. Nothing was happening. That was the problem.”
